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3 Players the Bears Should Sign This Offseason

By Joseph Grassano

Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bears 2024 season did not go as planned, as they finished the year 5-12. A major reason things fell apart for the Bears in 2024 was their trench play on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Bears let up 68 sacks, which is the second most in NFL history for any rookie quarterback. The offensive line's performance in 2024 did not reflect general manager Ryan Poles's assignment of it, "being the deepest it has been since he took over as GM" he gave at the beginning of the season.

Defensively, the Bears front seven failed to get pressure on quarterbacks in 2024, amassing only 40 sacks. Failure to reach the opposing quarterback was only part of the reason the defense struggled for most of the season. Yet, fixing the pass rush in the offseason remains paramount.

With this in mind, the Bears must target these three players in free agency.

1. Trey Smith - RG

Trey Smith is likely to be the most coveted player in all of free agency this offseason. The 25-year-old guard spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs. In Kansas City, Smith has developed into an elite player, allowing only eight sacks, 20 QB hits, 113 QB hurries, and 141 QB pressures,

Smith's level of play is going to lead to him resetting the guard market, which is why he is unlikely to stay a Chief. That said, under Poles, the Bears have shown a tendency to not finalize deals with big-name free agents.

Last year, the Bears were in on the Saqoun Barkley sweepstakes, but the price seemed to get too high for Poles liking, and he backed out. Barkley went on to have a record-breaking season with the Eagles, and the Bears ended up with D'Andre Swift, who hasn't been amazing. That's not to say that Barkley would have had the same season in Chicago, but still having him on the team could have made a significant difference

Nevertheless, the Bears targeting Smith could likely have a different outcome. Smith and Poles have a preexisting relationship since Poles was part of the Chiefs player personnel department when Smith was drafted.

As a result, negotiations between the two sides could be more amicable than those between other teams. Regardless of that, Smith will not be willing to take less money, so Poles better be willing to dish off whatever cash is needed to get him.

Signing Smith would be the perfect start to rebuilding the offensive line and would mean there's one less spot to worry about in the draft.

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